THERMODYNAMIC ORDER AND RANDOM DISORDER IN LIQUID-CRYSTAL ELASTOMERS

This article focuses on the continuum aspects of liquid crystal elasto mer structure. There are two opposing tendencies, the lack of thermal fluctuations that enhances the order in the system, and the random que nched disorder that leads to a highly frustrated polydomain state in e quilibrium. Imposing an external field (mechanical stress) changes the balance between order and disorder, this process being monitored by a polarised light scattering.